Monday, 18 January 2010

Today, I visited Glasgow's Necropolis where I obtained this photograph of a monument to James Ewing of Strathleven. This monument records the following deaths:

James Ewing LLD, FRS who was born Dec 7th 1775 and died Nov 29th 1853.

Janet Tucker Crawford, wife, died June 14th 1896.

James Ewing was the 5th child of Walter Ewing Maclae, 3rd of Cathkin and Margaret Fisher, daughter of Rev James Fisher and granddaughter of Rev. Ebenezer Erskine. These reverend gentlemen were two of the co-founders of the Secession Church in 1733. Walter Ewing was heavily involved assisting various distressed Glasgow tobacco merchants following the changes which occurred as a consequence of the American War of Independence.

Following business training under his father tutelage, James Ewing became a successful and wealthy businessman, in first instance as West Indian Merchant supplying sugar plantations in Jamaica and importing resultant products such as sugar and rum. Upon his death a substantial part of his huge fortune was left to charity.

The large, polished pink sarcophagus is of interest in its own right and forms part of the Glasgow Necropolis Heritage Trail. It was designed by John Baird I in 1857, sculpted by J. Mossman and made from Peterhead granite. The sarcophagus is located close the dominating John Knox Monument and hence is easy to locate.

Saturday, 16 January 2010

This evening, I am posting information on one William Rae Wilson who, after his death, had a very unusual, domed octagonal Moorish kiosk built in the style of Palestinian Sepulchre monuments erected in Wilson's memory at Glasgow's Necropolis by his second wife.

As befitting a high status burial ground like Glasgow's Necropolis, Doctor William Rae Wilson L.L.D. was a man of substance. He was borne 1772 in nearby Paisley and named William Rae. The name Wilson was added after an inheritance from his uncle, John Wilson.

William Rae Wilson practised as a solicitor (attorney) but after the death of his wife just 18 months after his marriage he went on a journey to the Middle East and wrote travel books. Wilson eventually married an English lady.

The mausoleum is of architectural interest in its right. No wood, iron or lead was used in its construction with all joints expertly sealed. Inside can be found the family arms of Rae and Wilson depicted in white marble.

Thursday, 14 January 2010

This morning, I am posting information on Houldsworth family history as sourced from a mausoleum at Glasgow's Necropolis which is dedicated to John Houldsworth. This Graeco-Egyptian style monument was designed and sculpted by John Thomas in 1845.

Key facts on John Houldsworth:

Son of a Nottingham (England) cotton spinner who moved to Cranston Hill and worked in Kelvinbridge.

Educated in Glasgow, Geneva and Heidelberg.

Non-work interests were art and sailing.

Lived 1807-1859.

Married Eliza Muir in 1836.

Was last Provost (mayor) of Anderston before the district was subsumed into Glasgow.

Wednesday, 13 January 2010

This afternoon, I am posting information on Dunn family history as sourced from a grand memorial at Glasgow's Necropolis.

This memorial focuses on one William Dunn of Duntocher. Key information on this person as follows:

Born Kirkintilloch 1770 and died 1849.

A successful Glaswegian entrepreneur who started life as cotton spinner, then learned iron-turning and machine making. He became a major landowner and businessman owning various mills and iron works employing up to 2000 people at peak.

Resided in mansion in St. Vincent Place, Glasgow.

Upon William Dunn' s death his death in 1849, Dunn's brother Alex Dunn, inherited the business fortune and built the monument shown in the image below.

The monument was designed in severe classical style by John Thomas Rochead in 1848.